←
ḥyl, ḥylˀ (ḥayl/ḥēl, ḥaylā) n.m.(f.) army; force
1
army
Common (except: BA)
Sf.1.b32↗ lyˀ]twn bḥylhm lšgb b[y]ty : they must come with their army to restore my dynasty ; SM 30(20):60.1(8)↗ דנפישי חילוותיה‏ : his troops are numerous ; AM 246:15↗ uhaila ˁl malka niqum ; PJ Ex12:17↗ ארום בכרן יומא הדין הנפיקית ית חיליכון פריקין מארעא דמצרים‏
(1)
pl. : fig. multitude of things
JLAtg, Gal
TgO Gen2:1↗ וְאִשתַכלַלוּ שְמַיָא וְאַרעָא וְכָל חֵילֵיהוֹן‏ ; VR 103:3(1)↗ ולא הוה יכיל למחמי ארעא מן חיליהון דאילנייא‏ : he couldn't see the ground because of the multitude of trees
2
as a collective: military unit/garrison and its members
OfAEg
(1)
sacred, clerical cohort
Syr, LJLA
P Num4:23↗ ܟܠ ܕܐܬ݁ܐ ܠܡܬܚܝܠܘ ܒܚܝܠܐ܂ ܘܠܡܦܠܚ ܦܘܠܚܢܐ ܒܡܫܟܢ ܙܒܢܐ‏ : everyone who comes in to serve in the sacred cohort and to do service in the tabernacle ; PJ Num4:23↗ כל דאתי לחיילא חילא‏
(2)
an order of angels, heavenly host
JLAtg, Gal, Syr
TgJ Zep1:5↗ וְיָת דְסָגְדִין עַל אִיגָרַיָ לְחֵילֵי שְמַיָא‏ : those who worship the heavenly powers on the rooftops ; SYAP 8:29↗ אוניאון הוא בחיל שמיא יי מלך‏ ; BHMQ 5.5.2.7 ܗ̈ܝܟܠܐ ܣܓܝ̈ܐ ܘܢܘ̈ܣܐ ܒܢܘ ܥܠ ܫܡܐ ܕܚܝ̈ܠܘܬܐ ܪ̈ܘܚܢܐ ܘܢܗܝܪ̈ܐ ܫܡܝ̈ܢܐ‏ : they built many temples and shrines in the name of the spirit powers and heavenly lights ; PsMeth 1:5 ܚܕ ܡܢ ܚܝ̈ܠܘܬܗ‏ : one of His heavenly host ; ThbK1 29:7↗ ܚܝ̈ܠܐ ܕܕܚܝܠ ܚܙܘܬܗܘܢ‏ ; PJ Deut4:19↗ ותחמון ית שימשא וית זיהרא וית רישי כוכביא כל חילי שמיא‏
(3)
sg. w. pl. numeral : size of a military force
Syr
IIMac11:2↗ ܘܟܢܫ ܝܬܝܪ ܡܢ ܬܡܢܐܝܢ ܐ̈ܠܦܝܢ ܚܝܠܐ‏ : he gathered an army of more than 80 thousand
3
power, strength providing ability
Common Aramaic
TgJ Is37:3↗ כְאִתָא דְיָתְבָא עַל מַתבְרָא וְחֵיל לֵית לַה לְמֵילַד‏ : like the woman sitting on the birthing stool who does not have the strength to give birth ; AphDem3.55:7↗ ܚܝܠܗ݀ ܕܡܠܬܐ‏ ; LSt.125:24↗ ܘܠܐ ܬܘܒ ܬܣܒ ܥܘܫܪܐ܂ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܝܬ ܠܢ ܚܝܠܐ ܕܥܘܫܪܐ‏ : do not take a tithe again, for we do not have the ability (to pay) a tithe ; BT Git 36b(31)↗ אי איישר חיל יותר מהילל איבטליניה‏ : if I can make my strength exceed that of PN, I shall abolish it ; Mishqal Ainia 11 ↗ ahbalia haila rama : grant me lofty power ; TgIIChron 25:9↗ אית חילא קדם ייי למתן לך סגי מן דין‏ : the Lord has the ability to give you much more than this
(1)
ܠܦܘܬ or ܐܝܟ ܚܝܠܝ or ܚܝܠܐ : to the best of my ability
Syr
TB 3:81.3↗ ܡܕܒܪܢܘܬܗ ܕܒܟܐܢܘܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܚܦܝܛܐܝܬ ܐܝܟ ܚܝܠܢ ܢܦܫܩ‏ : we shall diligently explain God's governance through justice to the best of our ability
(2)
miracle, incredible deed
CPA, Syr
FMSD 16.1:5↗ ܚܝ̈ܠܘܐܢ ܓܪ ܣܓܝ ܗܘܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܥܒܕ ܒܬܪܥܗ‏ : for God would do many miracles for him ; OS MtCur11:20↗ ܡ̈ܕܝܢܬܐ܂ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܚܘܝ ܒܗܝܢ ܚܝ̈ܠܐ ܣܓ̈ܝܐܐ‏ : those cities in which he had demonstrated many miracles ; JS_Elijah 1:480↗ ܣܵܥܲܪ ܚܲܝ̈ܠܸܐ‏ : performer of mighty deeds
(3)
intrinsic potency, innate potential power
Syr
BhBS.E Eth 1.4.3 ܢܦܫܐ܂ ܟܕ ܡܢ ܚܫ̈ܐ ܫܟܝܪ̈ܐ ܡܬܕܟܝܐ ܡܝܬܪܘܬܐ ܟܝܢܝܬܗ ܂܂܂ ܡܢ ܚܝܠܐ ܠܡܥܒܕܢܘܬܐ ܢܦܩܐ‏ : the soul, when it is purified of foul passions, the excellence of its nature emerges from potential to actuality ; Geop 2:14↗ ܡܫܬܐܠܝܢ ܡܢܗ ܕܠܐ ܢܟܒܫܘܢܗ݀܂ ܡܛܠ ܕܙܥܘܪ ܗܘ ܚܝܠܗ݀‏ : they refrain from tilling (the ground) because it potency is minimal ; ThbK1 38:18↗ ܚܝܠܐ ܥܡ ܟܝܢܐ ܡܠ݂ܘܬ܂ ܘܠܐ ܡܨܝܐ ܕܢܦܘܫ ܡܢܗ‏ : an innate force is conjoined to a natural element, and it is unable to be dissipated from it
(1)
ܒܚܝܠܐ : especially, potentially
Syr
EChe 54:3 ܡܛܠ ܓܝܪ ܕܒܚܝܠܐ݂ ܠܘܬܗ ܗܘ ܐܫܬ݁ܠ݂ܚܬ‏ : for it is to him that I have especially been sent
(2)
virtually, in effect
Syr
Bab 336:9 text not cited
(3)
(med.) the "temperature" (warm, cold, wet, or dry) of a being
Syr
HunQuest 384:9 ܡܢ݁ܘ ܚܝܠܐ܃ ܕܩܘܡܬܐ ܕܒܢ̈ܝ ܥܘܙܐ܂ ܚܡܝܡ݂ܐ ܘܝܒܝܫܐ‏ : what is the potent force of the life-stage of the vigorous ones? warm and dry
(4)
בְּחָיִל : aloud
BADan, JPAEpig
Dan 3:4↗ וְכָרוֹזָא קָרֵא בְחָיִל‏ ; Amulet 42:33↗ אנה מצרח בחיל‏ : I cry aloud
(5)
as an epithet of God : (due to late phonetic equivalence with ˀēl)
Sam
(6)
גיבר חיל : respected leader
LJLA
PJ Ex18:25↗ ובחר משה גיברי חילא מכל ישראל‏
(7)
authority
JBA, JBAg
BT Šab 156a(22)↗ והוה צווח רבי ולית דשמע ליה, ולית חילא בידיה למיסר‏ : PN would complain, but no one would listen to him nor did he possess the authority to prohibit it ; SSSad 268:16↗ ויהבו ליה רשו וחייל למתבע ולאשבועי ולאפטורי ולאחולי ולארשו<י> ולזבוני ולאזבוני‏ : they gave him the right and authority to sue, adjure, exempt, pardon, obligate, sell, and to force to sell
4
metaph.
(1)
strength, essence, best part
OAZenj, Gal, Syr
KTMW 9↗ wlw yqḥ | mn ḥyl | krm | znn : he must take from the best of this vineyard
(2)
intent, meaning
Syr
CyrilLet 3:30 ܚܝܠܐ ܕܡ̈ܠܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܣܝ݁ܡܐ‏ : the meaning of the words in the [Nicene] Creed ; TB 4:11.11↗ ܚܝܠܗ ܕܫܡܐ ܡܐ ܕܐܬܦܫܩ‏ : the meaning of the name when it has been explained ; AngelMary 12↗ ܪܲܚܼܝܩ ܗ̄ܽܘ ܡܸܢܝ ܡܵܢ ܕܵܐܡܪܲܬ ܘܡܵܢܲܘ ܚܲܝܠܸܗ ܠܵܐ ܝܵܕܥܵܢ‏ : what you are saying is remote for me and what its intent is I do not know
(1)
corroboration
Syr
ThbK1 92:5↗ ܒܕܢܣܒܘ ܚܝܠܐ ܡܢ ܓܠܝܢܗ ܕܦܘܠܘܣ ܕܠܦܪܕܝܣܐ‏ : inasmuch as they have taken corroboration from Paul's revelation regarding Paradise ; IshGen 148:2↗ ܟܕ ܫܩ݂ܠܘ ܚܝܠܐ ܡ݂ܢ ܗ݀ܝ ܕܦܘܠܘܣ‏
(2)
force of an argument
Gal, Syr
PTMas 49.b:4[2]↗ חייליה דר׳ ירמיה מן הדא‏ : PN's argument is based on this
(3)
preciousness, wealth
OfAEg, Syr
TAD C1.1(Ahiqar) .137↗ [אל ٠٠٠٠٠ ]חילא̇ ואל תהשגא לבבא‏ : do not ... wealth nor mislead the heart ; ApocDan.33.17↗ ܟܐ̈ܦܝ ܚܲܝܠܐ ܘܕܣܦܝܠܐ ܘܕܒܪ̈ܘܠܚܐ܂ ܕܐܝܬ ܗܘ̈ܝ ܒܝܬ ܡܩܕܫܐ‏ : the precious stones, sapphires and beryls that were in the Temple
(4)
seriousness
Syr
IVMac5:20↗ ܒܙܥܘܪ̈ܝܬܐ ܓܝܪ ܐܘ ܒܪ̈ܘܪܒܬܐ ܕܐܢܫ ܢܥܒܪ ܥܠ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܚܕ ܚܝܠܐ ܩܢ݂ܝܐ‏ : For whether one should transgress the law in minor things or in major things it acquires the same seriousness
(5)
abundance
Syr
ApocBar 14:12↗ ܚܝܠܐ ܕܥ݁ܒ̈ܕܐ ܕܢܛܝܪ ܒܐܘܨܪ̈ܐ‏ : an abundance of deeds that is preserved in storehouses
§▶
const: ḥēl; pl: normally masc., but often ḥaylāwān when used as an abstract idea or in reference to armies in general or in particular the hosts of Heaven. (Jacob of Sarugh, for example, regularly distinguishes betweeen ܚܝ̈ܠܐ‏ for "mighty deeds" or individual fighters and ܚܝ̈ܠܘܬܐ‏ for "armies.")
Note, then that Payne-Smith and Levy created a separate, feminine lemma accordingly, where LS2 has just one. See the citations for an example of the feminine form of the plural used with masculine concord.
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
Cf. also rb ḥyl. "Miracle" is probably a calque from Greek δὐναμις. Also see note s.v. ḥyl adj.
The expression חֵילֵי שְמַיָא renders Biblical Hebrew that refers undoubtedly to the astronomical divinities of the ANE, but by the time of the targums surely was understood to refer to angels.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 447[229]DJPA: 199aDJBA: 455aJastrow: 455Drower/Macuch: 120aJ. Payne-Smith: 140Levy Ch-W: 1:254Tal Sam: 254DNWSI: 369DCPA[Schulthess]: 128[63]Qumran: 83

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Wed, 04 Nov 2026 23:51:57 -0500